Stonegate is adopting a “retailer’s mindset” through the creation of its new MiXR network, which combines a loyalty app with out-of-home advertising across its estate.
“We’re in the era of effectiveness,” James Metcalfe, marketing director at the pub company, told delegates at MCA’s Hostech conference last week.
“We think by using smart technology that there is opportunity for us to really drive marketing effectiveness, but also a secondary opportunity for us to drive significant incremental revenue streams.”
The result, is recently launched MiXR, which connects guests to Stonegate’s 4500-strong estate, across brands including Slug and Lettuce, Be at One and Pop World.
App users can plan social occasions across the portfolio, earn points with every visit, and be rewarded for loyalty at Stonegate venues.
Metcalfe said the aim is to create something that is “more than a loyalty app”.
“We want this to feel like an ultimate nightlife companion,” he said.
Alongside the app, Stonegate will install digital screens across its estate as part of its wider strategy to leverage customer data through the app in order to elevate the consumer experience, and create targeted advertising.
This network arose from a conversation around how to harness Stonegate’s “super strength”, namely the scale and diversity of its estate.
“We believe that we operate in virtually every occasion in the mainstream on-trade.
“That represents the opportunity for us to gather a huge amount of information and ultimately create audiences that we can target.”
With just under 100 million people walking through the door of Stonegate managed venues every year, Metcalfe added, “We had the opportunity to connect visits with transactions to create some rich data.”
“A core part of our strategy is around adopting a retailer’s mindset.
“This led us to two core opportunities,” the chance to deliver revenue from advertising impressions, and create connected consumer data.
Stonegate’s strategy is to use the MiXR app as a source of gathering as much first party data as possible.
Meanwhile, the MiXR media platform will deliver accessible reach and “access eyeballs”, with an insights platform allowing the business to optimise these two elements.
After a pilot in Birmingham, Stonegate now has 130 sites where screens have been installed.
It has a long-term view to create the “UK’s biggest retail media network”, with 4,500 screens, across 800 venues in 275 towns.
This will give the brand the ability to deliver 2.6bn impressions to consumers over the course of 2024, and at full roll out will create 360m impressions every month.
“This is an enormous opportunity for us to make our marketing more effective, but also for brand owners to access their audiences in places they’ve not been able to do before”, said Metcalfe.
This will focus on “highly engaging, specific and occasion based content”, to launch new products, new brands and promote seasonally specific content.
Four core objectives for the network include, growing top line sales, premiumising sales mix, brand volume growth, and transforming launching NPD in the on-trade.
Already, the app has received 340,000 downloads in 11 weeks, with 150,000 free drinks redeemed and 13,000 covers booked, alongside 12,000 staff downloads.
